WashingtonOnline Instructional Policies and Procedures

Definition of a WashingtonOnline Class

A WashingtonOnline Class is any section of any course offered by any college in the consortium that meets the following criteria:

 

• Uses the WashingtonOnline seat management system to pool enrollments and/or to provide technical delivery of the classroom regardless of the ownership of the course materials
• Is delivered primarily in the online asynchronous mode

 

 

Student Policies

• Students enrolled through an individual college in a class managed by WashingtonOnline will be subject to and protected by the policies and procedures of the enrolling college.

 

 

Instructor Policies

• Instructors who teach WashingtonOnline courses must meet the standard qualifications for their field according to the policies of the colleges that hire them.
• Colleges that hire instructors to teach classes that have shared enrollment with other colleges must make available to WashingtonOnline information on those instructors.
• Instructors who teach WashingtonOnline courses must complete the WAOL instructor training.
• Instructors are governed by the policies and procedures of the colleges that write their contracts to teach WashingtonOnline courses.
• Colleges that hire instructors to teach shared courses must meet all accreditation standards.

 

Curriculum Courses and Programs

• Each WashingtonOnline course will be approved by each college that offers it using the established institutional program approval mechanisms for that college.
• By enrolling students in the course, the college takes responsibility for the curriculum.
• Each WashingtonOnline course will be developed so that students will be involved in a variety of activities that involve interactive exchanges among other students and between the student and the teacher. This interactivity will be accomplished in one or more of the following ways:
      1. Online discussion, recorded lecture, and/or distributed orientation sessions
      2. Either synchronous or asynchronous chat rooms
      3. Threaded discussions
      4. E-mail communications among students and between students and faculty.
      5. Listserves in which questions or notices will be posted by any participant and automatically sent to all participant mailboxes.
  
• Outcomes and assessment methods in WashingtonOnline courses will be detailed in observable, measurable and achievable terms. The learning design, delivery structure and course design will be consistent with the intended learning outcomes.
  
  

Evaluation and Assessment

• In making admission decisions, enrolling colleges will require whatever assessment of WashingtonOnline students that are required for any other student.
• WashingtonOnline will use or provide evaluation tools that will measure student learning outcomes, student retention, and student and faculty satisfaction.
• WashingtonOnline courses will be listed and transcripted in the same way any other credit course is listed and transcripted at each enrolling institution.

 

Learning Resources

• Colleges enrolling students in WashingtonOnline courses have agreed to share responsibility with WashingtonOnline to provide library services to online students.
• WashingtonOnline will provide uniform access to bibliographic and periodical databases; individual colleges will ensure that students receive materials and assistance as needed. See attached policy approved by the Washington State Community and Technical Colleges Library and Media Directors Council.

 

PROCEDURES

Requirements to Offer a WashingtonOnline Class (system-owned)

In order to enroll students in a WashingtonOnline class, a college must do the following:

• Enter the WAOL ID number into the designated field in the college's SMS system
• Provide on-campus contact information for students through college materials (schedules, web sites, etc.)
• Use the WAOL start-stop dates for instruction. http://waol.org/general_info/course_catalog.asp
• Advertise the class on the WashingtonOnline web site by completing SMS screens CM3008 and IS1037 or IS1038 each quarter. http://www.cis.ctc.edu/wctc/sms/courseclassdata.pdf
• Check enrollment rosters provided by WAOL to ensure accuracy.
• Provide all student services for students enrolled at that college

 

Requirements for Offering a College-Owned Course (shared or private)

In order to offer any course using WashingtonOnline a college must do the following:

• Complete the Standard Course Outline Data Entry Form. The lead instructor accesses this form through his/her MyWAOL account.
• Post course information on the WashingtonOnline web site at the date designated by WashingtonOnline. Colleges post course information by completing SMS screens CM3008 and IS1037 or IS1038. Instructions for completing these forms can be found at http://www.cis.ctc.edu/wctc/sms/courseclassdata.pdf
• If a shared class, use the WAOL start-stop dates. http://www.waol.org/info/currentQuarter/default.asp
• If a shared course, submit information to the WashingtonOnline Bookstore for required books and course materials by the designated date. The Lead Instructor is given access to the Book Submission Form through his/her MyWAOL account.
• Submit the course content for WashingtonOnline and college review if the course is to be shared with other colleges
• Keep a copy of all course materials offline

Requirements for Hiring a WashingtonOnline Instructor

Colleges hiring instructors to teach WashingtonOnline Classes must do the following:

• Submit an Intent to Teach form to WashingtonOnline. The instructor fills out the form at his/her MyWAOL page. The designated college official is notified of the instructor's request through the DLC MyWAOL account for that college. The DLC approves the class and determines the class capacity using the DLC MyWAOL account for that college.
• Pay the instructor according to the bargaining agreement in place at that college
• Follow any policies for instructors under the bargaining agreement in place at that college
• Provide instructor information for review by colleges enrolling students in the class taught by that instructor using the process developed by WashingtonOnline and college representatives
• Determine one week before the start of instruction whether enrollments in the class are sufficient to run the class that quarter.
• Requirements for Instructors Teaching a WashingtonOnline Class

 

Instructors who teach a WashingtonOnline class must do the following:

• Meet the standard qualifications for their field as determined by the hiring college
• Demonstrate competency in online pedagogy and in use of the courseware to be used for that class
• Arrange for a teaching contract through a college in the consortium
• Create a MyWAOL instructor account.
• Submit an Intent to Teach Form to WashingtonOnline each quarter
• Provide contact information to WashingtonOnline and to students
• Load course materials into the classroom at least three weeks before the start of instruction if the classroom is to be duplicated for multiple sections
• Post syllabus, outcomes, books, materials, contact information and a welcome message into classroom at least ten days before the start of instruction each quarter
• Submit information for review by enrolling colleges if teaching students from more than one college.
• Meet deadlines and schedules for days of instruction and grade reporting as determined by WashingtonOnline.
• Be online five out of every seven days during the specified instruction period.
• Give students specific information on policies for responding to student questions, problems, and assignments.
• Use the WashingtonOnline Grading Policy if teaching students from more than one college http://www.washingtononline.org/info/getStarted/grading.asp
• Keep a copy of classroom materials offline
• Submit grades to WashingtonOnline no later than five days after the end of instruction if teaching students from more than one college

Books and Materials

• Books and materials for courses shared among colleges must be listed in the central WAOL bookstore.

Grading Policies

• Instructors in WashingtonOnline shared courses will use the WashingtonOnline Grading Policy and meet the deadlines for grade submission as set by WashingtonOnline
• Grade disputes will be governed by the policies of the college where the student is enrolled.
• WashingtonOnline Grading Policy: http://www.washingtononline.org/info/getStarted/grading.asp

PROVIDING LIBRARY/MEDIA SERVICES FOR DISTANCE LEARNING STUDENTS AND FACULTY

Library Media Directors Council
Washington State Community and Technical Colleges

In 1999, the Commission on Colleges of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges revised accreditation standards with a new emphasis on distance learning and on each college's expanded responsibility to distance learners. This new language includes the following statement:

"The Institution ensures that students have access to and can effectively use
appropriate library resources" (Standard 2.6.j).

The Library Media Directors Council offers the following guidelines to assist Washington community and technical colleges in developing services in support of distance learning and in compliance with the associated standards:

• Community and technical colleges are required to provide library media instruction, resources, and services to distance learners that are analogous to those provided to on-campus students and instructors.
• The college that enrolls the student is responsible for compliance with standard 2.6.j.
• Students and faculty involved in distance learning will typically require non-traditional services that necessitate a dedicated effort to achieve compliance with this standard.

INSTRUCTION, SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO BE PROVIDED

• Equitable access to information resources. This includes:
      o Educating users to effectively locate, evaluate, and manage information
      o Providing access to catalogs and indexes of the Library Media Centers' collections
      o Providing access to electronic resources
      o Delivering books, videos, copies of articles, and other physical materials promptly
      o Facilitating loan of materials from other libraries
  
• Collaboration between librarians and course instructors. This includes:
      o Integrating information literacy and research abilities into the course curriculum
      o Developing the services required for a course
      o Identifying the resources required for student success in the course
  
• Reference service to all students and faculty
• Subject and literature searches on course topics
• Equitable access to equipment and media production support
• Systematic performance assessment